Cartridge with combined effects projectile
A cartridge comprising a bullet, the bullet providing a radially expanding array of bullet fragments upon entering a target and also providing an increase in effective surface area of the bullet within the target by structural features that facilitate tumbling or mushrooming in the target. In an embodiment a pair of axial core members are aligned in a bullet jacket with the forward core member being segmented with separation junctures formed by engaged faces of adjacent segments. Impact causing fracturing of the segments from a base portion.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/659,952, filed Apr. 19, 2018 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/492,058, filed Apr. 28, 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONMaximum stopping power is desirable in small arms ammunition utilized for hunting, personal protection, and law enforcement. Stopping power correlates to energy transfer from the bullet to the fluidic target which is associated with maximizes damage to the target. Conventional handgun ammunition, for personal protection and law enforcement may often be designed to “upset” or “mushroom” upon impact thereby presenting an enhanced surface area to the fluidic target and thereby the projectile will often dissipate its entire energy in the target while generating a significant wound cavity. Other ammunition may rely upon the bullet tumbling upon entering the target to cause maximum damage or injury and that dissipates the bullets energy and generates a significant wound cavity. Bullets that remain intact and do not tumble in a target often pass through the target reducing damage or injury to the target and may create a hazard to personnel behind the intended target. Other known ammunition have bullets that fragment, such fragmentation in small arms has been disfavored as smaller fragments may be inconsistent in the damage they inflict upon targets and often have a reduced wound cavities. Efforts have been made to prevent fragmentation of mushrooming bullets as such was deemed disadvantageous. One advantage to fragmenting projectiles is that fragments that disperse from the direct bullet path provide a greater chance of hitting a vital component in a soft fluidic target that is displaced from the direct bullet path.
Any improvement to the stopping power of small arms ammunition would be welcome by consumers and law enforcement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn embodiments herein a bullet of a cartridge is provided with controlled fragmentation and dispersion of the fragmentation upon target entry as well as providing a bullet portion that comprises a substantial portion of the original bullet and that has a controlled mushrooming and/or tumbling effect. In embodiments, a jacketed bullet has a pair of axially arranged cores, a forward core and a rearward core, within the jacket, the rearward core having a cylindrical outer surface engaging the jacket. The forward core having an ogival exterior forward surface that may follow an interior wall surface of the jacket and a rearward cylindrical surface. The forward ogival portion may have a central recess commonly referred to as a hollow point. The forward core having circumferentially spaced core segments positioned about an axis of the bullet, the core segments being separated from one another in the final bullet or during the bullet forming so as to form parting or separation junctures of the core segments from one another. The separation junctures, which may be planar or non-planar shaped separation junctures, with opposing faces of adjacent core segments confronting and engaging each other. Each separation juncture extending radially outward from the radius. The core segments formed to separate upon impact with a target radially outward in a dispersed star shaped pattern. The jacket having a forward portion with axially extending tear guides configured as creases, skives, folds or the like, to facilitate pedaling of the jacket upon target entry. The tear guides may be arranged to correspond to the core segments. The core segments may be unitary with a non-segmented core portion whereby when the segments separate, there is a tearing at bases of the core segments
In an embodiment, a bullet core has a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments separated from one another. In embodiments, the segments have a separation defined by a gap, the gap extending axially at least 30% of the axial length of the bullet. In embodiments, the gap extending at least 20% of the axial length of the bullet. The segments unitary and homogeneous with a non-segmented portion of the core rearward of the plurality of circumferentially spaced segments. The segments configured to separate from the non-segmented portion of the core upon impact. In embodiments, the segments are positioned around a pillar portion extending from the non-segmented portion. Whereby when the segments separate, axially extending cut-out regions are defined on the forward exterior surface of the bullet facilitating tumbling of the bullet in the target. The central pillar portion may remain intact with the non-segmented portion in the target, shifting the center of gravity rearward, facilitating tumbling of the non-segmented portion. The concave cutouts also destabilize the non-segmented portion with the pillar portion facilitating tumbling.
A feature and advantage of embodiments is that the attributes of conventional mushrooming bullet are provided as well as the advantages of a fragmenting bullet. Moreover, the fragmentation occurs in a predefined pattern of a radially expanding array, maximizing stopping potential of the bullet.
A feature and advantage of embodiments is that the cartridge and bullet as shown may be manufactured with conventional manufacturing techniques and tools, thereby providing an enhanced round with minimal or no additional manufacturing expense.
A feature and advantage of embodiments is a projectile that upon mushrooming, the petals release minor projectile components radially outward from the primary projectile track and the mushroomed projectile component continues to track substantially along the primary projectile track. In embodiments the minor projectile components constitute less than 50% of the original mass of the projectile
A feature and advantage of embodiments is a projectile that provides a tumbling effect upon hitting a target but also provides an early pre-tumble fragmentation, the fragmentation being provided in a predefined radially expanding array.
Referring to
At a forward end 61 of the projectile or bullet 46, a cavity configured as a central recess 64 is defined by the forward core 52, providing what is known as a hollow point bullet. In embodiments, the forward core 52 has a plurality of core segments 70, numbering 6 in the exemplary illustration. The core segments 70 may, of course, be of other quantities and may be formed generally as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,057, which is herein incorporated by reference for all purposes and owned by the owner of the instant application. In embodiments, the central recess may have material, such as elastomeric material, or a tip therein.
A punch may separate the segments 70, defining faces of each segment 70, and the jacket 48 and cores 52, 54, may be swaged together in suitable forms. Each core segment has an outer face 71 and a pair of internal faces 72, 74, that engage respective apposing faces of adjacent segments 70. The adjacent faces 72, 74, define separation junctures 78 that may extend to or are proximate to a rear face 80 of the forward core member 52.
As illustrated in
In certain embodiments, the cavity 64 may not extend rearward fully to the rear face 80, but may be a shallower cavity. In certain embodiments, the cavity 64 may be filled, such as with elastomeric material as described in U.S. Patent Publication US 2005/0126422, said application incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
The jacket 48 includes skives, creases, or folds 44 that may be aligned with the separation junctures 78, as best shown in
Upon the projectile 46 of
In embodiments, a punch that forms the core segments in the forward core may extend into the rear core, particularly at the central portion of the rear core as shown in
In that the core segments 70 are not attached to each other or to the rearward core member 52, the outward hydraulic force of the soft target in the cavity 64 causes the segments 70 to release and launch as fragments 82 radially outward in a pattern corresponding to the arrangement in the jacket 48.
Referring to
The cores 52, 54, and jacket 48 may be formed of conventional materials, including but not limited to, copper and copper alloys for the jacket 48, and lead, copper and alloys thereof for the core members.
Referring to
The gaps 118 may be a few thousandths of an inch thick to a few hundred thousandths of an inch thick. The segments 114 are unitary and homogeneous with a non-segmented portion 128 of the bullet 110. Such non-segmented portion 128 may be rearward of the plurality of circumferentially spaced segments 114 and be configured as a base 128 with a bottom 123.
The segments 114 are configured to separate from the non-segmented portion or base 128 of the bullet 110 upon impact. In embodiments, the segments 114 are positioned around a pillar portion 132 extending from the base 128, the gaps 118 being defined between the segments 114 and the pillar portion 132.
When the bullet 110 enters a soft target, such as a gel block, hydraulic fluid enters the gaps 118 and forces the segments 114 outwardly. The connection portions of the segments 114 to the base proximate the floors 119 of the gaps 118 are not flexible nor strong enough to resist fracturing or snapping under the hydraulic forces of the fluid. Under pressure from the hydraulic forces, the segments 114 fracture apart from the base 128 and are launched radially outward, as illustrated in
The fracturing of the segments 114 provide axially extending cut-out regions 140 defined on the forward exterior surface of the projectile 110, presenting a profile that facilitates tumbling of the base 128 and pillar portion 132 of the projectile 110 in the target, as shown in
In other embodiments, the segments 114 may be adjacent to one another. The cuts or gaps 118 extend, in the embodiments of
The projectiles of
In embodiments, the bullets 110 may be formed by injection molding, such that the bullet 110 is formed as a unitary piece with formed gaps 118 and segments 114, as shown in
Suitable methods for manufacturing the multi-core bullets described herein include: Inserting a jacket preform into a die. Dropping a first lead ball into the jacket preform and pressing the lead ball into the jacket to form the rearward core member 54. A multistage press is suitable to using in the pressing steps. The press is configured to impart a desired shape to the forward end of the rearward core member 54 for the desired fit for juncture 55. A second lead ball is dropped onto the formed rearward core pressed down onto the rearward core in the jacket, deforming the second ball to conform to the jacket and the forward surface of the rearward core. The combined reward core member, forward core member and jacket are then inserted forward core component end first into a skiving die to form the segments. Appropriate shaped punches and/or blades are used to form the planer separations to separate the segments as desired. The combined reward core member, forward core member and jacket are then moved to a finishing die to be swaged to obtain the final bullet shape. Other and additional steps may, of course, be utilized.
The following references are hereby incorporated by reference herein except for express definitions and patent claims contained therein: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0283314; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0027129; U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,863,746; 5,399,187; 5,665,808; 7,503,260; and 6,048,379. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein.
Each of the figures and methods disclosed herein can be used separately, or in conjunction with other features and methods, to provide improved devices and methods for making and using the same. Therefore, the specific combinations of features and methods disclosed herein may not be necessary to practice the disclosure in its broadest sense and are instead disclosed merely to particularly describe representative embodiments.
Various modifications to the embodiments may be apparent to one of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure. For example, persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that the various features described for the different embodiments can be suitably combined, un-combined, and re-combined with other features, alone, or in different combinations. Likewise, the various features described above should all be regarded as example embodiments, rather than limitations to the scope or spirit of the disclosure.
Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that various embodiments can comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the claims can comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art.
The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any incorporated by reference references, any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. The above references in all sections of this application are herein incorporated by references in their entirety for all purposes.
Although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose could be substituted for the specific examples shown. This application is intended to cover adaptations or variations of the present subject matter. Therefore, it is intended that the invention be defined by the attached claims and their legal equivalents, as well as the following illustrative aspects. The above described aspects embodiments of the invention are merely descriptive of its principles and are not to be considered limiting. Further modifications of the invention herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A handgun cartridge comprising a cartridge casing with a mouth and an interior, propellant in the interior of the cartridge casing, and a bullet secured in the mouth of the cartridge casing, the cartridge and bullet have a central axis, the bullet having an overall length and a maximum diameter, the ratio of the overall length to the maximum diameter is equal to or less than about 2:1, the bullet comprising:
- a jacket member comprising a rearward wall having a generally circular shape and a circumferential wall extending forwardly from the rearward wall, the circumferential wall having a forward margin;
- a rearward core member disposed inside the jacket member, the rearward core member having a cylindrical exterior surface engaging an inside surface of the circumferential wall, a forward facing surface, and a rearward facing surface, the rearward facing surface of the rearward core member being seated against a forward facing surface of the rearward wall of the jacket member;
- a forward core member disposed inside the jacket member forward of and non-unitary with the rearward core member, the forward core member having a rear face, wherein the forward facing surface of the rearward core member and the rear face of the forward core member meet at a juncture;
- the forward core member comprising a plurality of core segments extending axially forwardly from the rear face of the forward core member, the plurality of segments arranged circularly around the central bullet axis and defining a bullet tip with an axially extending recess at said tip, adjacent pairs of the forward core segments having segment faces engaged with each other defining a separation juncture, wherein the core segments are configured to be separable from one another at said separation junctures and are separable from the rearward core member at the juncture between the forward facing surface of the rearward core member and the rear face of the forward core member and dispersible radially outwardly in an array when the bullet strikes a target.
2. The handgun cartridge of claim 1, wherein the plurality of core segments numbers from 3 to 8.
3. The handgun cartridge of claim 1, wherein the axially extending recess at the bullet tip has a depth, and wherein the separation junctures have an axial length, and the axial length of the separation junctures is greater than the depth of the axially extending recess.
4. The handgun cartridge of any one of claim 1, wherein each said separation juncture extends axially entirely through the forward core member along the central axis.
5. The handgun cartridge of claim 4 wherein the forward core member has an outer circumferential surface and an axial length, and wherein each said separation juncture extends entirely the axial length of the forward core member at the central axis and does not extend the axial length of the forward core member at the outer circumferential surface.
6. The handgun cartridge of claim 1, wherein one the forward core member and rearward core member comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: steel, lead, copper, ETP copper, copper alloys, brass, bronze, carbides, tungsten, tungsten carbide, silicon carbide, tungsten heavy alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, iron, polymers, polymer matrixes, fiber-reinforced polymers, carbon composite materials, bismuth alloys, tin alloys, and ceramics.
7. The handgun cartridge of claim 1, wherein the jacket member has a plurality of axially extending tear guides extending rearwardly from the forward margin, wherein the axially extending tear guides are at least one of skives, folds, and slits.
8. The handgun cartridge of claim 1, wherein the jacket member, the forward core member and the rearward core member are configured for releasing the forward core member and retaining the rearward core member upon impact.
9. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the jacket member comprises a plurality of axially extending tear guides extending rearwardly from the forward margin, whereby when the bullet strikes a target the jacket may petal outwardly.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Apr 30, 2018
Date of Patent: Jun 23, 2020
Patent Publication Number: 20180313639
Assignee: Vista Outdoor Operations LLC (Anoka, MN)
Inventor: Bryan P. Peterson (Isanti, MN)
Primary Examiner: Stephen Johnson
Application Number: 15/967,169
International Classification: F42B 12/74 (20060101); F42B 12/36 (20060101); F42B 12/78 (20060101);